Bill > S1320

This bill, the Forward Looking Investment in General Aviation, Hangars, and Tarmacs Act of 2017 or the FLIGHT Act of 2017, makes several changes to the airport improvement program to benefit general aviation airports: It requires at least 4% of entitlement funding to go to airports designated as "disaster relief airports" to enhance their ability to aid in disaster response. It increases the period of availability for apportioned funds from 3 years to 4 years, and allows the federal government's share of project costs to be increased to 95% for certain general aviation airports to improve safety and security. The bill also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement an expedited and coordinated environmental review process for general aviation airport construction or improvement projects, and establishes a public-private partnership program to help general aviation and privately-owned public-use airports without scheduled air service build or improve hangars, businesses, and other facilities. Additionally, the bill requires DOT to designate certain airports as "disaster relief airports" based on criteria like proximity to medical facilities and susceptibility to natural disasters, and allows the construction of certain recreational aircraft to be treated as an "aeronautical activity" eligible for airport improvement grants.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1320/all-info